Lock fob convertible furniture



T. F. KELLY.

LOCK ma CONVERTIBLE FunNluRE.

APPLICATION FILED F-B- 4. |919.

,318,287. A Patented Oct. 7,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. F. KELLY.

LOCK FOR CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

APPLICATION HLED FB.4.19x9.

,318,287. Patented oct. 7,1919. l

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a* d' l x d .Ziff-e@ narran srarns rnrnnr ernten.

THGMAS KELLY, OE CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOLR OF ONE-HAIJFIO JOSEPHA.. KELLY, O'F CLINTON, IOWA.

LOCK FOR CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

connection with various kinds of structures and is not necessarily restricted to use in connection with furniture of the type mentioned, it has been designed primarily foruse in connection with a bed davenport such as disclosed in Patent Number 1,270,839, issued to W. J. Kelly on July 2nd, 1918.

In a device such as referred to there is provided a housing structure supporting a stationary seat and the sections constituting the bed portion of the device are adapted to fold together and to form the back of the structure when in use as a davenport. In the construction of the bed sections of the device it has been found necessary to use a cross bar as a transverse reinforcement and this bar has necessarily been bent to provide the necessary clearance for the spring fabric of the bed, etc. As a means for locking the folded sections together a latch has heretofore been used for engaging this cross bar. It has been found, however, that in the process of manufacture it rarely happens that4 two of the cross bars are bent exactly alike, because of variations in the grade of material and other causes. Difficulty has usually been experienced, therefore, in setting the latches on the different structures so as to properly engage the bars. Then, too, the

bars sometimes bend out of original shape after shipment and the latches will not properly engage them. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel form of latch which can be placed in position upon the main or housing structure of the furniture and readily adjusted to properly engage 4 the cross bar of the'bed sections, this adjustment being so simple that the services of a skilled mechanic are not required. Another object is to provide a latch which is simple in constructen and Will not easily geteilt of ordenV specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 7, 1919.

' Application led February 4, 1919. Serial No. 274,933.

With the foregoing andother objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details Vof construction and'combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood ,that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts vwithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- 'Figure 1rjis a side elevation of a bed davenport of the type mentioned, with the Y near side of themain structure or housing removed and showing the bed sections folded together and fastened Vin upstanding positions to form the back of the davenport.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the latch in engaging position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the parts during two stages of the locking operation. 4

Fig. 4L is a front elevation of the latch, the parts being in the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view lof the adjustable segmentalplate.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the attaching bracket.

, Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designatesy the main structure or housing of the device and secured within this structure is a stationary seat B. The bed portion of the furniture is made up of a back section C, and sections D and E hingedly connected as shown, there being aI transversely extending reinforcing bar F carried by 4said foldable bed portion and so located that, when the bed portion is .folded and in upstanding position at the back of the davenport, the said bar will be extended above the sections C, D and E. The bar F 'is not straight from end to end but has its ends offset as at f and attached to the sides of the bed portion so that when the bed is extended for use, the'bar will be supported below and be spaced from the bed fabric. In making these bars, which for lightness, cheapness and durability are tubular, they are bent in a suitable press but as the quality and strength of the metal varies it is diiiicult, if not altogether impossible, especially in rapid quantity production, to make the bars without Y' any variation in shape. In practice it has been found that themiddle portion of one bar, when fastened to the bed section, will sometimes be'as mulch as one half or three-quarters of an inch away from the position occupied by the corresponding portion of a similar bar secured to another like bed davenport. This difference maybe upwardly, downwardly, backwardly or forwardly from the proper position. In order to provide a latch which, after being placed in position can be adjusted to properly engage the bar F irrespective of any variation in its shape, the device constituting the present invention has been devised. This latch includes an attaching bracket 1 adapted to be secured to the bottom of the top cross rail a of the section A and having a depending ear 2 provided with non-alining Vertical slots 3 and 4, the lower front portion of the ear. being cut away as shown at 5. Mounted onone side of the ear 2 isa segmental plate 6 provided at its upper or small end with a laterally extending lug 7 provided with an opening 8, While formed in the plate 6 close to this lug is an opening 9. A pivot stud 10 is seated in the opening 9 and is slidably mounted in the upper slot 3 and heads are provided at both ends of the stud to prevent its removal from the engaged parts and to hold the plate to the ear 2.

An arcuate slot 11 is formed in the broad end portion of the plate 6 and extends across the slot 4. A clamping 4body 12 is extended through both of these slots 4 and 11 and by tightening the nut 13 thereon, the plate 6 can be clamped tightly against the ear 2 so as to be held against movement relative thereto. By loosening lthe nut 13, however, the-plate 6 can be adjusted angularly about itspivot stud 10 and can also be adjusted longitudinally of the slots 3 and 4.

Extending from the lower front corner of e the plate 6 is an ear 14 which is slightlyV offset laterally and carries a 'pivot stud 15 on which is mounted a curved latch tongueV 16 terminating Vin a blunt head 17. An arm 18 extends backwardly from the pivot portion of the tongue'and has aseries of openings 19 any one of which is adapted to receive one end of a coiled spring 20 the other end of which is in engagement with the ear 7. This spring pulls vupwardly on the arm 18 and holds it normally pressed against a stop finger 21 extended laterally from the lower edge of the plate 6 close to the ear 14.' When the arm 18 is thus located the tongue 16 is extended forwardly with the head 17 in the path of the bar F, as

shown by ndotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be obvious,ltherefore, that when the folded'rbed sections are swung upwardly and backwardly relative to the structure A, the bar F will strike against the head 17 and press itbackwardly and upwardly until said bar.,

arrives back of thehead 17 whereupon'the spring 20. will swing the tongue downwardly so as to straddle and hold the bar. The different positions assumed during this operation have been shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

For the purpose of disengaging the latchv vto move within a groove c formed in the back of the rail a and can be retained therein by any suitable means, such as a screw retained washer 24. By pushing downwardly upon the slide the tongue of the latch. will be raised and disengaged from the bar F, as will be apparent.

It will be .noted that by mounting the bar engaging member of the latch upon the adjustable lplate 6 it is possible, by loosening the bolt 12, to adjust said member to the l exact position necessary to cause' it to,v properlyengage the bar F, this adjustment y being made readily after the .bracket 1 has been attached to the rail t and the parts of the bed davenport have been assembled.

This allows the structure to be set up at the I factory much more rapidly than'hasbeen possible heretofore and consequently reduces the costV of the product.

1. A latchy including a member mounted for angular and right line adjustment, a-

clamping bolt for holding the member against movement, an arcuate tongue pivot-` ally mounted on said member, yielding means for holding the tongue normally in one extreme position, and means for shifting the tongue to its other position.

2. A latch including an attaching bracket, a plate pivotally `and sli-dably mounted thereon, a clamping bolt extending through the plate and bracket for holding the plate against movement, a latch tongue pivotally mounted on the plate, an arm extending therefrom, a spring connection between the arm and plate, and an actuating member connected to the arm.

3. A latch including an attaching bracket having a slot therein, a plate pivotally and slidably connected to the bracket and having an arcuate slot, a clamping'member extending through the slots in the plate and bracket, and a spring controlled latch tongue mounted on the plate.

4. A latch including an attaching bracket I having-a slot therein, a plate pivotally and slidably connected to the bracket and having an arcurate slot,` a clamping member, ex-

tending through the slots in the plate and arm against the finger, and an actuating bracket for holding the plate against moveslide connected to the arm.

ment relative to the bracket, a stop linger In testimony that I claim the foregoing 10 upon the plate, an arcuate latch tongue as my ovvn, I have hereto aixed my signapivotally mounted on the plate, an arm eX- ture.

tending therefrom, a spring connection between the arm and plate for holding the THOMAS F. KELLY.

.Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. C. 

